


Upside Down

by Admiral39 (Bookworm39)



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Age Difference, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Male Character, Can be interpreted as platonic or romantic - Freeform, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, He derseves a chance to be happy or at least not dead, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, I ship it either way, I'm sorry this new song is totally a phone guy song and you can't tell me otherwise, IDK there needs to be more Mike/Phone Guy stuff so I'll do my part, Laughter, M/M, Mentions of homophobia, Minor Injuries, Normally I write PG as a ghost post-FNAF1 but, Pardon the typo it's 3 am as I post this story, Rated for swearing, and it brought up images of these two hanging out after a rough day so have this, based on a Set It Off song, both are mature consenting adults though so it's cool, honestly just tagging as I think of it, if people like this I guess I could write more???, in the sense that Mike is afraid of somebody thinking the wrong thing and hurting his new friend, mentions of Thomas's time in the hospital, not so sure about 'mature' in Mike's case, of like thirteen years, that I've been working on for a while now, well. consenting adults at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-08-29 08:25:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8482468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm39/pseuds/Admiral39
Summary: "Hey, I’m gonna make a smile out of that frown,We could turn it upside down,We could turn it upside down,So sing it loud,Oh, until they put me six feet underground,We could turn it upside down,We could turn it upside down.We could now."------------------------After a particularly bad night at Freddy Fazbear's, Mike didn't think anything could make him feel better. But a chance encounter with a strangely familiar man may be enough to restore some faith in the universe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note: As said in the tags, this story could be seen as romantic or platonic. Either way, enjoy!

It had been a bad night-even if you didn't knew anything of the job, the bruises on Mike's arm (covered by his windbreaker, but it still hurt like hell), the bandage on his cheek, and the tired air about him said it all. And considering where he worked, it wouldn't be hard to guess he'd almost been killed.

Which would be correct. Nearly gotten his arm broken by Chica, Foxy took a swing at his face and barely missed, and after getting shut in by three of the four, he'd just managed to squeeze his way to six after the power died. He'd sat there, curled up under the desk, shaking, for a few minutes before realizing he could leave.

Mike looked up at the dreary, early morning sky. _Great, rain. Just what I need._ He just wanted to get home and lie down. He knew he needed the job-his mother would flip her lid if she found out he was unemployed-but goddammit, that didn't mean he had to like it. He sighed. Just had to reach the bus stop; hell, maybe he could even take a nap on the ride.

He turned the corner, only to freeze when he saw a man in front of him. He was tall, on the scrawny side, and seemed to be in pretty rough shape himself, with a shopping bag sitting by his feet and his eyes trained on the ground, light brown hair hanging slightly in his face. _Great, some kind of druggie?_ Mike thought. He was just wondering how to get around him without causing a scene when the other man looked up. "Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry, am I in your way? I-I-I was just leaving..."

Mike almost asked what he meant-there wasn't anything for him to be in the way _of_ , weirdo-but his words hit him like a sack of bricks. Or, really, his voice.

 _No way. It can't be. He_ died. _It's not like... Holy shit, but what if it is?_

The other guy fidgeted awkwardly, then said, "Um, I-I-I-I'll just... go now..."

"No!" Mike yelled, then nearly slapped himself. God, he must've sounded like a creep-not to mention looked like one, what with him standing there, staring. "I-I mean- it's no big deal. Don't mind me," he explained, moving to stand by the taller man, who, thankfully, seemed to have settled down again. He smiled shyly, tugging his hands into his pockets. Now that he was closer, Mike could see a dark patch on his face; looked like the beginnings of a black eye.

The two stood there for a moment, Mike's mind running a mile a second. _What if... this_ is _him?_ He'd never met the stranger who left him advice at Freddy's-never even learned his name, leading to Mike just nicknaming him 'Phone Guy'-and had assumed he'd died. But it'd be hard to mistake the voice of the man who saved your life for anybody else, and he was sure that's who he sounded like...

 _And what if he is Phone Guy? How the hell do I ask him? 'Excuse me, I'm not crazy, but did you ever work at a place with murderous animatronics? I think I recognize your voice.' Yeah,_ that _won't sound weird._

Mike glanced over at his companion, then asked, trying to sound casual, "So, waiting for the bus?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah." He looked up, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "I-I-I was out running errands, nothing weird... Uh, don't have much with me, n-not anymore, at least, b-b-but- you know what, never mind." He turned away, squeezing his own arm lightly. "Just, uh, I-I'd just rather take a bus than walk at this point." If he'd kept looking, he might've seen Mike flinch with sympathy. Between the way he was talking and the bruise on his face (not to mention them being on the bad end of town), he'd probably already gotten mugged or something.

Suddenly, he felt a drop of water hit his head. He looked up, seeing the clouds opening up and pouring. With a groan, he pulled up his hood, then glanced at the other man, who shivered a bit. Poor sap didn't even have a jacket with him. Mike wasn't the kind of person to hand out random acts of kindness-wasn't like he ever had a lot to hand out-but, really, would it hurt to lend somebody a rain-jacket for a little bit, until they got on the bus? Even if his theory was wrong, this guy seemed to be having a rough day, and would probably just give it back without trying to steal it, and if he _was_ Phone Guy-well, Mike felt he owned him a hell of a lot more than a jacket.

 _Ah, fuck it._ "Hey, you need this? Might be a bit small, but..." He grabbed the hem of the jacket, holding it out slightly.

"Oh, n-no, you don't have to-" But by the time the words were leaving his mouth, Schmidt was already unzipping it and shrugging it off of his shoulders. He sighed, but accepted the windbreaker, smiling slightly with a hint of red to his cheeks. "Um, y-you really didn't have to... b-but thank you." He pulled it on-it was a bit short, but also a little baggy on him-and added, "Oh, b-by the way, uh, my name is Thomas."

"Mike." He readjusted his work vest, even contemplating taking it off and throwing it over his head to at least keep his glasses dry, but noticed Thomas staring at him out of the corner of his eye. "Uh, something wrong?"

He'd almost started to worry the bruises on his arms had turned some nasty color, but Thomas was focused on his uniform. His voice shaking, he managed to whimper out, "Y-y-y-you... work at Freddy's?" Mike was a bit confused, but simply nodded, which only served to make Thomas more uneasy, by the looks of it. "Oh, d-dear..." He cleared his throat awkwardly, then said, "Agh, I-I-I'm sorry, it's just... I worked there for a while a-a-and I know it's not- it's not a very pleasant job, y'know? Uh-"

"You worked at Freddy's?" Mike felt his mouth go dry. _Holy shit, it really_ is _him, isn't it?_ "Was it... as a security guard? Night shift, midnight to six?"

Thomas blinked. "W-well, yeah. How did you know?"

_Yes, it is._

Mike felt his heart squeeze in his chest. "You were the one who worked that shift before me, aren't you? You left those messages- you left advice for the next guy- you saved my _life_ -" All at once, his walls cracked and broke, and he was left standing there, shaking, clutching his hair in his hands, tears welling up in his eyes, and refusing to look up at Thomas. "Holy shit- _I thought you'd died!_ " Anger started to bubble in his gut, and he muttered, "Why didn't she _tell_ me... she _had_ to have known... I asked what happened to the guy before, what the _fuck_ is _wrong_ with her..." The tears spilled over as he whispered, "I thought you'd _died..._ trying to _save my life..._ "

All at once, he heard the sound of rushed footsteps, along with the sound of mumbling, and felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "O-oh, M-M-Mike, please... Hey, hey, c-calm down, please... There's no need to cry over me, a-alright?" Both hands moved to squeeze Mike biceps, and Thomas whispered, "I-I-I didn't think anybody would _care_..."

Mike heaved a sigh, then muttered hoarsely, "Of course I cared. I would've _died_ without your help." He still wouldn't look at Thomas, saying, "Christ, I must look pathetic right now..." He wiped his eyes, and while his glasses were misplaced, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. With a jolt, he looked up, and he saw Thomas hugging him against his chest.

"M-Mike, you're not pathetic- p-p-please, calm down. It's okay... _I'm_ okay." He smiled down at the smaller man, pushing a section of wet, dark hair from Mike's face. He looked around, seeing an overhang nearby, and led the shorter man underneath, still holding him and trying to cheer him up. "A-a-and by the sounds of it, you were working there since before I even, uh, even got out of the hospital! You're very brave- see, i-it wasn't just me, you did great!" He almost seemed to deflate a bit, and he said, "I-I-I'm sorry for upsetting you like that... I honestly wasn't sure I'd make it, and, uh, I really didn't think whoever they got to replace me would care that much-heh, I sorta thought, um, they'd just stop listening after the few calls, since I-I wasn't saying anything that helpful."

Mike sniffed, then smiled back. "Ha, what, that job? Piece of cake," he joked, chuckling slightly, but stopped suddenly. "Wait... you got taken to the hospital? I'd been hoping- I guess I thought you would've gotten away before they could..." He trailed off, swallowing thickly. Something about the thought of those... _things_ hurting Thomas made him a bit ill. Even though he'd only really known him for a few minutes, he'd still felt for a while that he owned the anonymous 'Phone Guy' his life, and was honestly a bit protective of him, even now-hell, maybe even more.

"Oh, uh, yeah... S-Something must've knocked me out, I-I-I came to in one of those suits... Um, luckily, it was actually an older design that didn't have as much metal in it, s-s-so, while I did get some really unpleasant cuts, I-I just needed some stitches and, ah, blood transfusion." He stopped, scratching the back of his neck as he added, "W-well, I think they did say there was a bit of an infection, now, uh, now that I think about it." He hummed thoughtfully, then froze when Mike squeezed his hand. "Oh, g-g-gosh, I'm just making it worse, aren't I?" He dropped his arms to his sides, stepping back from Mike, who had an obvious look of discomfort on his face. Thomas fidgeted with his hands, biting his lip. "I-I'm sorry, Mike. I didn't mean to upset you, I-I-I swear-"

"No," Mike interrupted, taking a deep breath. "It's not your fault. I'm just..." He looked Thomas in the eye as he said, "I'm being silly. I'm just glad you're okay, y'know?"

Thomas hesitated, still wringing his hands, then said, "Yeah, I-I'm, uh, I'm glad you made it this far, too." He grinned, stepping closer again. "I-I knew you could do it, a-and I was right!"

Mike laughed, puffing out his chest. "Who, me? Please. I had it all under control!" He was about to take it even further with some ridiculous pose, but stopped when he saw Thomas covering his mouth with his hand. Trying to keep up the 'macho' act, he asked, "Are you laughing at me? I'll come over there are kick your ass, I swear to God-" He was cut off when Thomas burst into laughter. With a groan, he said, "Y'know, you're a real dick, have anybody ever told you?" Despite himself, Mike started chuckling, too. It was nice, seeing his new friend so genuinely happy.

After a moment, Thomas bent over, resting his hands on his thighs with one last giggle. "I-I-I'm sorry... You just… One minute, you're all worried about m-me, then you're threatening to kill me-!" He looked up, grinning, and added, "Heh, somehow I doubt you'd actually be able to beat me up."

"Do you really wanna test me, Phone Guy?" Mike said, crossing his arms and forcing a scowl. _Goddammit, why does he have to be so nice? Makes it kind of hard to fake being pissed at him._ "Just because you saved my life doesn't mean I'm taking shit off of you."

"I-I-I'm not so sure about that…" Thomas chuckled. "Uh, besides, I-I don't think you could reach me-"

"Bullshit!" Mike pouted and turned away. He had a point-Thomas was a few inches, maybe even a half-foot taller than Mike-but there was no way Mike would admit it. Mike faked a sniffle, saying "Jesus, that's really a low blow… I didn't think you'd do something like that…"

He was pretty clearly milking it, in his opinion, but Thomas sighed and spoke up. "Oh, M-Mike, come on…" He sounded amused, but a hint of guilt seemed to slip through. _Holy crap, is he really buying it?_ Mike felt a hand brush over his shoulder, but shrugged it off quickly. "Mike, uh, please-"

"Nope." Mike shook his head. "Too late. You win; I don't feel so bad for you anymore, you prick."  A small jolt of satisfaction ran through him when he felt Thomas step back a bit, but it left quickly. He heard a quiet whining sound behind him, and when he shot a glance over his shoulder, Thomas was slouched over, with his eyes on the ground, scratching at the back of his neck furiously with one hand, while the other one was shoved in his pants pocket. All in all, he seemed a bit of a wreck. Mike bit his lip, then turned around fully and said, "Ah, hell, knock it off, alright? I'm sorry for messing with 'ya." He took a deep breath, then opened his arms. "Truce?"

Thomas looked up, blinking in confusion. Slowly, he smiled, saying, "Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry... I was probably just m-making a big deal out of nothing-" He was cut off by Mike clearing his throat, followed by him tilting his head back. Thomas couldn't help but chuckle, then went in for the hug.

Mike smiled. There was something... _calming_ about having Thomas nearby like this. The taller of the two rested his chin on Mike's shoulder lightly, his arms looped under his friend's. Mike laughed to himself quietly. God, here he was, getting all sappy over someone he barely knew... but really, considering he'd been convinced Phone Guy had died (probably because he was leaving the messages for him, no less), he thought he deserved this. Deserved _something_ going right for him. "I'm really glad you're okay, man... I own you one, especially after giving you shit like I was..."

"Oh, h-hush." Thomas squeezed tighter, reaching up to place one hand on the back of Mike's head. "You don't, uh, don't own me anything... I'm just happy I could help you out..." He seemed even happier as he added, "And I-I'm _really_ happy I got to meet you in person...!" He closed his eyes, smiling softly, just enjoying a moment of peace...

...When Mike gasped and shoved him away. Thomas stumbled for a moment, but regained his balance. He looked at Mike, a bit hurt, and was about to ask what was wrong when he heard the sound of a vehicle behind him He turned and saw the bus rolling towards them. "O-oh." He turned back to Mike, who was bending over to grab Thomas's bag for him. He looked up and grinned sheepishly, blushing slightly.

"Uh, sorry. I just- I wasn't sure what this kinda neighborhood would think- don't want them making assumptions and something bad happening- y'know?" He held out the bag, frowning awkwardly. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, uh, n-no, it's fine, really." Thomas took the bag, smiling thankfully to Mike. "I appreciate your concern." The two turned to the bus, which had rolled to a stop and opened its doors. Thomas stepped back, saying "Y-you can go first, if you want." He waited as the other entered the bus, then followed.

Mike sat down in the back, waving Thomas over. The bus was pretty much empty-it was still fairly early, after all-but he's still been hoping for some privacy. Thomas sat down next to him, placing the bag on the floor by his feet. Mike yawned, covering his mouth. "Jesus, forgot how tired I was." He leaned back in his seat, saying, "You don't mind if I end up dozing off, do you?"

"O-of course not! You must be exhausted. Oh, uh, here-" Thomas sat forward and pulled off Mike's jacket, handing it back. "Uh, i-if you want to use as a blanket or something."

Mike smiled, draping the windbreaker over his shoulders. "Thanks." Closing his eyes, he said, "Hey, will ya' be out running errands again tomorrow? It'd be nice to chat with you again."

"Well, I-I wasn't planning to, n-no, but, uh, I don't live far from Freddy's. I could stop by the bus stop a-and meet you there, if you want." Mike nodded tiredly, and Thomas rubbed his shoulder, saying, "Y-y-you've earned some rest, new guy. Take a break for a bit."

"'New Guy,' eh? Is this payback for the 'Phone Guy' thing or something?" Mike mumbled, but he didn't bother listening for an answer. He felt himself drifting off, feeling safer next to his new friend. No nightmares this time.

...Though, to be fair, he _did_ wake up, if just for a moment, to wave slowly to Thomas as he left the bus, waving back as he did. Because, really, that was only fair.

**Author's Note:**

> Behold, my first time writing for this ship! For real, while I'd never thought I'd be writing it with my own AU, I've not found a lot of Microphone stuff (aside from wanderingoverthewords' stuff, which is A+ and you guys should go read!), and I really like this ship. Besides, if they can write both platonic stuff for these two, so can I!  
> ...Anyways, I hope this made you smile. If you guys want more, let me know! Thomas is technically engaged in my main story, but there's nothing that says I can't go for the OT3/polyamorous route!


End file.
